Saturday, December 18, 2004

Politically Correct Christmas (Updated)

Along with the Christmas holiday, we always get fringe wacko dangleberries who demand that everything associated with Christianity be banned, hidden, unspoken, and unsung. Unfortunately, politically correct "progressives" often yield to these inane demands. Charles Krauthammer did a great job on this subject in yesterday's Washington Post:
School districts in New Jersey and Florida ban Christmas carols. The mayor of Somerville, Mass., apologizes for "mistakenly" referring to the town's "holiday party" as a "Christmas party." The Broward and Fashion malls in South Florida put up a Hanukah menorah but no nativity scene. The manager of one of the malls explains: Hanukah commemorates a battle and not a religious event, though he hastens to add, "I really don't know a lot about it." He does not. Hanukah commemorates a miracle, and there is no event more "religious" than a miracle.

The attempts to de-Christianize Christmas are as absurd as they are relentless. The United States today is the most tolerant and diverse society in history. It celebrates all faiths with an open heart and open-mindedness that, compared to even the most advanced countries in Europe, are unique.Yet more than 80 percent of Americans are Christian, and probably 95 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas. Christmas Day is an official federal holiday, the only day of the entire year when, for example, the Smithsonian museums are closed. Are we to pretend that Christmas is nothing but an orgy of commerce in celebration of . . . what? The winter solstice?

What all this silliness really means is that the only religious group we're permitted to offend is Christians. When will the majority in this democracy stand up and fight back? The real tragedy is that so much of this happens in schools, where children are taught to value everything but the true traditions of our country.

I'm not religious, and I'm also not threatened or offended by expressions of faith made by others. I think you have to be weak-minded and very unsure of your beliefs in order to feel otherwise.

UPDATE

There's an interesting article in the Washington Post on December 20 regarding current legal efforts to reverse the anti-Christmas trend in some places. One example given:

Christian groups have argued in court this month against a New York City school policy that allows menorahs during Hanukah and the Islamic crescent during Ramadan but not Nativity scenes during Christmas.

3 Comments:

If it weren't for the obnoxious attempts by some Christians to shove their religion down everyone's throats, we'd probably be much more willing to put up with the expressions that really are unimportant.

I'm old enough to remember being forced to pray in school, and I also remember how angry that made me. Yet some Christians want to return us to those times.

Nobody is trying to ban Christianity - we just don't want it in our government - there's way too much there already.

We need to respect all religious belief, and the lack of it. So either (for example) open your government meetings with Christian prayers, Moslem, Wiccan, Hindo and everything else plus a Humanist reading, or (simpler) JUST LEAVE IT ALL OUT. If town hall is going to put up a manger scene, then just about every day of the year should have something celebrating someone's belief system, or again, just stay away from it entirely.

Tony, I tried to go to your site but couldn't get there. The problem, as I see it, is that a few very active, hypersensitive people make a habit of trying to rid Christmas of religious references. Aside from being patently silly, given the very meaning of Christmas, it's an effort to shut down a specific kind of minimal religious speech that reflects the beliefs of the vast majority of Americans. I honestly think most non-Christians (of which I am one) are not at all offended by the Christian religious nature of the holiday. That small number of people who pop up each year should devote their energy to some other issue, where they might actually do some good. And thanks for your comment!

Hi Tom, this situation is not unique to the US, we in the UK also suffer for political correctness gone mad. I am not a Christian but I too am not offended by the religious aspect of Christmas - that is palin ridiculous - why would that cause offense. I believe its more offensive to Christians to totally ignore that it is a religious event.I've also heard stories of companies holding 'holiday parties', etc.If other religions are allowed to celebrate their festivals, then why are Christians not allowed to claim Christmas as theirs instead of the commericialised holiday it has become(I wonder if that made sense) - though it is unfair that other religions do not get national holidays...